The family of Anthony Anderson, whose death was ruled a homicide Tuesday, rallied with local activists to call for murder charges against the three police officers who arrested Anderson the day he died.

Anthony Anderson, 46, died after a confrontation with police in east Baltimore on Sept. 21. Police said the officers have been assigned to administrative duties per protocol for this type of investigation. Police identified the officers, who are assigned to the Violent Crime Impact Section, as Detectives Gregg Boyd, Michael Vodarick, and Detective Todd Strohman.

Homicide detectives continue to conduct an independent criminal investigation and will provide their findings to prosecutors. The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office will determine whether the death resulted from a legally justified or unjustified homicide, police said.

According to an I-Team source familiar with the investigation, Anderson died from blunt-force trauma, and police ruled his death a homicide, which police officials confirmed later Tuesday afternoon.

Anderson's family had said officers beat him to death in a vacant lot at East Biddle Street and Montford Avenue. Police originally said officers caught Anderson in a drug deal and that he choked on drugs he stuffed in his mouth during the arrest.

Although the medical examiner said morphine was detected in Anderson's system, the autopsy report found it was not a factor in his death. The report concluded that Anderson died from blunt-force trauma, saying he suffered broken ribs and a ruptured spleen, causing him to bleed internally and suggesting he may have been kicked or slammed to the ground.

The head of the city's police union reviewed the report and told 11 News he believes Anderson's injuries are consistent with the standard takedown maneuver often used to arrest a person who may be armed.

Investigators said Anderson was unarmed, but they did find drugs at the scene.

Anderson family attorney J. Wyndal Gordon said some members of the family witnessed the encounter between Anderson and the officers and are comforted by the findings.

"They are comforted in knowing that the medical examiner confirmed what they had been saying from day one: That he was killed as a result of being slammed to the ground," Gordon said. "They grabbed him around the top of his knees and lifted him straight up into the air and power-drived him into the ground on his head and neck first."

Family calls for murder charges

Anderson's family said they are considering a wrongful-death lawsuit, and they rallied with local activists Tuesday night to call for murder charges against the three police officers who arrested Anderson.

"We're calling for murder charges, for officers to be fired, and we're calling for an end to their paid vacation at the taxpayers' expense," said the Rev. C.D. Witherspoon, of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Anderson's family said he had a long history with police, including more than two dozen arrests, and they said he knew not to fight.

"They said he was just faking because he didn't want to go to jail, and that's not true. Tony suffered on that lot. He was handcuffed and suffering, and he died," said Nancy Harvey, Anderson's sister. "We want these officers fired, we want them arrested and we want them convicted, because if it was a normal citizen who committed homicide, they would be behind bars."

WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team lead investigative reporter Jayne Miller on Wednesday learned one of the officers was shot and wounded nearly two years ago in an incident in downtown Baltimore that involved a gun battle with an assailant. The officer recovered and became an advocate for tougher gun laws. He is the officer who had the hands-on contact a week and a half ago with Anderson.

The 11 News I-Team has also learned the other two officers have had civil suits brought against them for their conduct as police officers. A jury found one of them liable in an excessive-force case involving a business owner. That same officer was also awarded a medal of honor for his police service.